The following op-ed is written by Campbell Co. Judge/Executive Steve Pendery, a candidate for reelection in the Republican primary on May 17
I’m running for re-election as Campbell County Judge-Executive for the simple reason, that while we have come a long way as a county, there are still many opportunities to make Campbell County even better if we have the courage and foresight to seize them. Our success didn’t happen overnight and tomorrow is never guaranteed.
By any measure, Campbell County is doing great. Economically, this past year has been our biggest ever for issuing building permits countywide. In Newport alone, the $1 billion Ovation project is rising from the ground, the $40 million Ovation Concert Venue and $37 million mixed use Academy on 4th are open, and the $100 million Newport on the Levee redevelopment is complete. Countywide, we are steering development in a way that makes sense for our communities while creating jobs and expanding the economy. Along with the other Northern Kentucky counties, we’ve led the state in job creation for a generation and consistently rank in the top ten of Kentucky’s 120 counties in every measure of economic success.
County government is delivering superior services for its residents. Together with Kenton and Boone, we are building the largest fiber optic internet service in the country – right to the door of every house. All residents and businesses will now be able to leverage this critical infrastructure to help educate our children and grow our companies. We are supporting our first responders with a new radio system that is the largest regional project in Kentucky history. That means when our residents need them, first responders can hear them, find them and help them.
We have saved our residents money while providing better service in water, sewer and public transportation. We have grown our parks, paved our roads and created the best senior center program in Northern Kentucky. We replaced every single voting machine to make sure our elections are secure.
And Campbell County has done all this and more while still spending less money per resident than any other full service government in Northern Kentucky.
Campbell County is also preparing its next generation of residents to thrive. We have great public and private schools. Northern Kentucky University, already one of America’s best universities, has a new Health Innovation Center and a new medical school. NKU will be an economic, educational and social engine for Campbell County and the region for decades to come.
But there is still so much to do. There always is.
We must continue to work closely with all areas of the county because their needs and goals are not a one-size-fits-all proposition. What makes sense in our rural areas, for example, may not be the same things our river cities want. Sometimes the goal is development. Other times it may be green space preservation. We need to meet our residents where they are. We have, and we will.
We’ll need help completing our current infrastructure projects and identifying new ones. That means engaging with Frankfort to make sure Campbell County gets its fair share of state funding. The County’s presence in Frankfort has never been stronger, and our residents and businesses are benefiting as a result.
The need for cooperation extends to our friends in Boone and Kenton county. When we act as a region, we benefit as a county. Our efforts to bring broadband to every house in Campbell County and to support our first responders with the best radio system in the country could not have happened without regional cooperation. Companies that choose to relocate to or stay in Northern Kentucky make their decisions based on regional factors like education, workforce readiness, transportation grids and business climate. They don’t think in terms of counties. We can’t either.
And, finally, we must continue to be great stewards of our county. That means continuing to live within our means, as we’ve done throughout my time in office. We must continue to look forward so we can not only identify challenges and opportunities but be prepared to meet them. We must cooperate at every level, in our suburban and rural areas, in our cities and in our region.
I wake up every day excited about Campbell County and ready to fight for our citizens and businesses. I am honored to be your Judge-Executive, and I hope I’ve earned your vote for another term in office.